


A New Beginning

by Howard_Titania_Oberon



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: (a little), Awkward Tension, BAMF Link, BotW spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Mention of Characters' Death, Other tags to be added, Post-Canon, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26913901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howard_Titania_Oberon/pseuds/Howard_Titania_Oberon
Summary: For a hundred years, Hyrule has been living under the fear that the Calamity would break free of the princess' seal and tear apart the country. Fortunately, after a century, Link had woke up from the Shrine of Resurrection, healed up of all his wounds and, although amnesic, was ready to accomplish his duty and save the kingdom. After he had freed the Divine Beasts – and the souls of his comrades the Champions at the same time – he had attacked the citadel, facing monsters and guardians, and had fought Ganon with the Sword that Seals the Darkness in his hand. And at last, using the Bow of Light given to him by Zelda, he delivered the final blow to the Calamity who had reached its final form, an immense boar made of pure evil, and liberated Hyrule and the princess.From now on, Zelda and Link needed to find new marks in this world that had changed so much during their absence.
Relationships: Link & Impa, Link & Purah, Link & The Champions, Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Zelda & Impa, Zelda & Link, Zelda & Purah, Zelda & the Champions
Kudos: 9





	1. Hitting the road

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Un nouveau départ](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/698248) by @TheMad666. 



> Hey everyone ! I have finally started translating my very first multi-chapters fanfic !  
> Legend of Zelda is one of my favorite game licence, and Breath of the Wild has made itself a place as one of my favorites within.  
> And, yeah, I know, this fanfic would practically count as an AU now that BOTW 2 is approaching and with Age of Calamity, but eh... I started writing it 2 years ago, I couldn't know '^'
> 
> I can't promise you a regular update schedule (all with college, being in two associations and hobbies...) but I'll try to not take to long between chapters. And it's just a translation, it's not like I was starting from scratch !
> 
> I'll hope you enjoy the story, don't hesitate to comment and see you next time :)
> 
> (The Legend of Zelda Licence is a property of Nintendo Company)
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a hundred years, Hyrule has been living under the fear that the Calamity would break free of the princess' seal and tear apart the country. Fortunately, after a century, Link had woke up from the Shrine of Resurrection, healed up of all his wounds and, although amnesic, was ready to accomplish his duty and save the kingdom. After he had freed the Divine Beasts – and the souls of his comrades the Champions at the same time – he had attacked the citadel, facing monsters and guardians, and had fought Ganon with the Sword that Seals the Darkness in his hand. And at last, using the Bow of Light given to him by Zelda, he delivered the final blow to the Calamity who had reached its final form, an immense boar made of pure evil, and liberated Hyrule and the princess.

One week had passed since Link's victory against the Calamity. One week during which Zelda and him had slowly recovered from the challenges they had faced, and during which the princess had to acclimatize again to the world after one hundred years of quasi-sleep and fighting evil – a world that had changed a lot. Once they were back on their feet, the Goddess' descendant wanted to leave Kakariko village, were they had been sheltered, and go on a journey to see with her own eyes what her kingdom had became. Reticent at first, the village chief Impa had finally yielded and let them go, not without a promise that they'd be careful: there may be less monsters now that Ganon was dead, but they hadn't totally disappeared. Link had said that it was his duty as the royal knight to protect the princess so there was no point to be worried; that made the old lady smile. After long goodbyes, the duo had hit the road on horses: him on a chestnut mare with white horsehair and her on a white horse looking exactly like the one she had a century ago.

Their first destination was Hateno village, as it was the nearest from Kakariko; only two days on horses. When they were halfway there, Link started to search a place to stop and sleep, as the sun was starting to go down. Zelda was just behind, watching him: the young man was wearing his Champion’s tunic: a light blue tunic with patterns representing the Legendary Sword that she had made herself; he was also wearing beige pants, leather boots and a black cape with the hood on, hiding his light brown hair. The handle of his weapon, a Knight’s sword, was pointing from under the fabric besides his shoulder. A few days after their arrival at Kakariko village, while the princess was slowly regaining strength, the Hero had gone to the Lost Woods to put the Sword that Seals the Darkness back in its pedestal, as its mission was accomplished. He had replaced it with this steel blade of excellent quality, even though it was leagues behind its predecessor. As for the blonde, she was wearing a traditional white sheikah kimono. The Champion then made a hand sign, pointing at a small clearing in the woods they were going through, by Fort Hateno. 

"-We’ll stop here for the night. I already camped here two or three times, it’s a calm place."

Zelda nodded and followed imitated Link when he got off his mare. Approaching, she saw a stone dish placed on a metal support, just above an area of burned grass and aside a lying tree trunk. She realized it was probably something he had left here the last time he had slept here. 

"-Your Highness, could you go pick some dry wood for the fire while I put up the camp, please?" asked the young man as he was tying the horses to a tree. While she was doing her chore, she stared at her comrade – her servant knight. He had taken down their luggage, put out the cots and was busy scrubbing the dish he would use to make dinner. There was this serious look on his face that fascinated her, to the point she didn’t pay attention of where she was walking anymore and slipped on an apple, falling on her butt and gasping in surprise. 

"-Is everything alright?" the swordsman asked.  
"-Y-yes, I just tripped!" The bonde answered, blushing a little.

She stacked the branches under the dish and watched Link light the fire hitting a flint against his blade. The she went to sit on the trunk, letting him prepare a stew with carrots, some pumpkin, and a piece of meat from a boar he had hunted earlier in the day. The easiness with which he cooked impressed the princess, who then remembered he had to fend for himself during his quest to save Hyrule. If only she had managed to awake her power, he’d never had to face all of this… Culpability washed over her. As she was trying to push it away, Link went crouching in front of her:

"-Your Highness, you don't seem to feel well, what's wrong?"  
"-Oh, it's nothing," she answered, "I was just thinking that… If I had been more competent as a descendant of the Goddess, you wouldn't have to come through all this and… Our friends wouldn't have…"

Her throat tightened at the memory of the Champions, and tears built up in her eyes that she closed in hope to hide it. To her surprise, the young man took her hands and replied softly:

"-Your Highness, you're in no way responsible for what happened. Nobody could have foreseen that the Calamity would turn the Divine Beasts and the guardians against us… As for your power, I know firsthand that you did all you could do to awake it, so don't feel guilt for that. And in the end, you saved my life, when the guardians surrounded us, and you maintained Ganon in you seal for a hundred years, giving me the time to heal so it wasn't in vain… Anyway, I'm here to support you, Your Highness, so don't feel like you have to keep to yourself."  
"-You're in no position to lecture me on that, mister mute knight." she remarked with a little smile, raising her head.  
"-Point taken." he laughed. 

Even if she said that, Zelda had realized that Link wasn't as reserved as he was a hundred years ago. At Kakariko village, he had discussed enthusiastically with most of the villagers. Same with the few merchants they had crossed ways with. The blonde had been surprised at first, but mostly reassured to see him open up to people. Even if she would have preferred that he spent a little less time with Paya… After dinner, sleep quickly overcame them. The knight was adamant on staying up to be on guard, and so the young woman tried to convince him he needed sleep as much as her, and facing the stubbornness of the swordsman, she resorted to order him to sleep, invoking her royal status. The light-brown-haired man pouted, but did as he was told nonetheless, sighing at the blonde's triumphant smirk. 

The knight had decided to break camp at dawn to arrive at Hateno village as soon as possible. Zelda was wondering if this was some kind of personal revenge for last night as she was rubbing her tired eyes. She decided to examine the Sheikah slate before the made it to their destination as a consolation. Thanks to Link, it had recovered all of it's abilities, and the princess was already delighted to finally penetrate inside of an ancient shrine and to study in details each of the different runes. Furthermore, she also had to take a look at one of those towers that had sprouted everywhere and had, according to her comrade, installed the kingdom's cartographic data in the relic. As they were nearing the village, she came closer of her serving knight and said:

"-Be prepared when we'll reach the laboratory. Purah and I are going to examine you in detail to see if the Shrine of Resurrection has left sequels on you."  
"-All right…" The young man answered, a bit of embarrassment in his voice, "but I have to go somewhere first."

The princess' cheeks had turned pink at the idea of "examining" the young man in detail. She wanted to question him as to where exactly he wanted to go, but right at this moment they came out of the woods; in front of them was Hateno village.


	2. Hateno Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda reach Hateno Village, and the princess make some discoveries

The village was calm, but lively at the same time. Children were running along the pathway, their mothers were watching them from afar while chatting, some villagers were taking care of their vegetable garden… When the duo passed the entry's arch, they got off their horses to continue on foot, guiding the animals by the reins; a young boy rushed towards them with a wide grin and called:

"-Link! You're back!"

Zelda raised an eyebrow: back? How come? Her comrade didn't seem to mind and crouched down to greet the child with a smile:

"Hello Nebb. How are you? You don't cause your parents too much worries, do you?"

The boy shook his head with a laugh before turning to the blonde to stare at her interrogatively, before asking, his head tilted to the side:

"-Say, it's your girlfriend, the cute blonde girl in a kimono?"

The young woman furiously blushed hearing this and turned her head to hide it, missing in doing so the pink that colored her knight's face when he answered negatively to the curious kid, telling me to not go around telling this to everyone. Once the embarrassment gone, the man guided the princess to the east of the village; they passed a few houses with a… particular design – giant colored piled up cubes – and a wooden bridge, they arrived in front of a traditional Hateno house: made of stone and sandstone, with a high chimney and a red-tiled roof. There was a porch roof covered in ivy over the door, and a partially covered terrace on the front and the side. On the right there was a little flower field surrounding an apple tree, and behind was a little stable. Finally, right in front of the house, a sign indicated "Link's House" … The princess' eyes widened in surprise while reading the inscription; she really wasn't expecting this… After all, before the Calamity, the brown-haired boy lived at the castle, and before that his family used to live in Castle town. So seeing him settle down in a village so far away – sure, the town and the castle weren't habitable at all anymore, but… Zelda had just assumed that the knight had taken shelter at Kakariko Village between his awakening and his victory against Ganon, not that he had bought a house. Though, she had to admit he had chosen wisely: the house was just enough isolated from the village for it to be calm without the walk between the two being too long; the view from the east overlooked a pond, the forest and then the mountain reef characteristic of the region. It was breathtaking, and the abode itself looked absolutely charming. Once he had taken the horses tout the stable, Link opened the door and let the blonde enter first, declaring with a proud smile: 

"-Welcome to my home!" 

The inside was humble, but otherwise very pleasant: on the ground floor, a small table with two chairs were placed at the center of the room, on a sober brown-beige carpet. At the left of the entrance, a buffet and a bookcase. Then, against the left wall was the kitchenette. On the right, there were stairs leading to a mezzanine – the bedroom, probably – under which was a space used as a storeroom. A dozen lanterns were hanging from the ceiling, lighting pleasantly all the house. Finally, the most outstanding, nine plaques were fixed on the walls to expose various weapons, among which some Zelda knew very well, as it were the weapons of their Champions comrades: Revali's Great Eagle Bow, Urbosa's Scimitar of the Seven and Daybreaker Shield, Daruk's Boulder Breaker and, in the center, Mipha's Lightscale Trident. A melancholic smile was drawn on the princess' face seeing this, happy to see that Link was taking good care of their friends' legacy. He told her to make herself at home while he was going to do a couple of errands, then went back outside. The blonde went to take a closer look at the weapons, repressing her guilt while remembering the good moments they had shared. The fact that Mipha's trident was at the center didn't go unnoticed, and it looked even more well-maintained than the others, as if it received more attention. Of course, Link and Mipha were friends since childhood, so it would be normal that he cherished her memory in particular, but the woman was also aware of the feelings the zora princess had for the knight and, if the idea that those feelings could have been reciprocated didn't even crossed her mind at the time, the way the trident was highlighted pinched her heart. She sighed; to be jealous of someone who was dead, a precious friend furthermore, really was unfit for a princess, it really was something to be ashamed of…   
Hesitant at first, her curiosity ends up winning, making Zelda go upstairs, in Link's bedroom. A small desk, a dresser, a single bed and a nightstand, it was as sober as the rest of the house. Though, a big picture hanging on the wall above the dresser caught the blonde's eyes. A picture that made her heart swell with nostalgia: it represented all the Champions and the princess herself; Purah had shot it with the sheikah slate at Mipha's request, just after the Champions' induction ceremony. The Picture was meant to be a serious one, but Daruk had caught everyone in his arms at the last moment, giving a more friendly and relaxed result. The woman laughed a little at the memory.  
When Link got back, Zelda was immersed in reading a book found in the bookcase where the author was recounting his travels in Hyrule. The blonde looked up when she heard the door close to see her friend, arms loaded with packages. She helped him putting everything on the table and took a look at what he bought, mainly food. 

"-We've had rather light meals during the travel, so I thought we could make a copious one before we go to the laboratory!" the man said enthusiastically. 

The princess laughed; if there was one thing about her knight that was still the same, it clearly was is gluttony!

"-Well, with pleasure, but you will have to wait: I need you to be on an empty stomach for your examination." she teased.

His face fell upon hearing those words, making the blonde break down in laughs. Between two fits, she managed to say:

"-I'm… I'm joking, Link, don't make that face! Come on, don't sulk!"

The young man was pouting, but he was clearly trying not to smile. Then, while hugging a package against his chest, he shot back with a smirk:

"-I'm not sure if you deserve your gift, after this…" 

Her curiosity piqued, the blonde started pouting too, and said with false contrition:

"-I'm sorry Link, please show me… I promise I will never try to deprive you of food ever again."

Link sighed and handed her the package. Inside was a pair of boots and pants similar to the ones he was wearing, and also a light beige tunic.

"-I thought you'd be more comfortable with an outfit that would give you more liberty of movement…" he justified himself while rubbing his neck. 

Indeed, the kimono she was wearing since their departure from Kakariko Village wasn't the most practical, even though it was warm and pleasant to wear. She smiled and thanked him warmly before going upstairs to change while he started cooking. When the young woman came back down, a sweet aroma was already floating all around the house: Link was roasting a piece of venison with apples and honey. He turned his head when she approached, and watched her do a little twirl.

"-So? Does it look good on me?" she asked.  
"-You look delightful, Your Highness." the man said with a smile as he reported his attention on the cooking.

The blonde felt the blush coming to her cheeks and she was a little relieved her serving knight was focusing on the food and didn't notice. The moment to eat quickly came; it was delicious, Link really was an excellent cook. The meat was cooked to perfection and just melt in their mouth, with the hint of sweet from the honey to perfectly enhance the flavor. The meal was spent in a pleasing silence, the two more dedicated to enjoy their dish than make small talk. Once they were done and the dishes were washed, they took the time to digest, sitting on the terrace in front of the house and enjoying the sun. The knight suddenly turned to the princess with wide eyes and said:

"-Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, concerning Purah… No, you know what, it will be better if I don't spoil the surprise." he finished with a mischievous smile.

The young woman stared at him, perplexed, hoping he would spill it, but all she got was a wink before he lied down with a satisfied sigh, a hand on his belly. Zelda sighed too, understanding that she would get nothing from him, and started thinking about what could Purah possibly reserve her that Link wouldn't tell to surprise her…   
Later, the princess and the knight went on their way to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab; they crossed the town and took the road to the top of the hill where the laboratory was. The blond was happy with her new outfit, way more comfortable than the kimono that would have quickly been too warm. It wasn't a long trip, and they rapidly found themselves in front of the lab. The building seemed to be a traditional Hateno house combined to a high tower on which a wooden extension was added on the front. A sheikah eye, their symbol, was painted on the double-door and, on the right, a giant telescope made of ancient tech was leaning against the roof. Link gestured with his hand to invite Zelda to go in first; so she pushed the door and went into the ancient lab.


	3. The Hateno Ancient Tech Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda go pay a visit to Purah. Awkwardness ensues.

Entering the laboratory, Zelda was surprised to be welcomed by a little sheikah girl around six years old. She was reading something on a work table and when the doors opened, she asked:

"-Link, it's you? I hope you're bringing me more adorable little ancient mat…" 

The child froze when she turned her head, seeing who really had come through the doors. A tear rolled on her cheek before she exploded in joy and jumped in the princess' arms:

"-Your highness, you're alive! Bless the Goddess, I'm so so so happy, I missed you so much!"

The blonde, totally lost, finally recognized the child's voice and, taken aback, chanced:

"-Wait… Purah, is that you?!"  
"-Of course it's me, Your highness!" replied the sheikah with misty eyes, while Zelda put her down.  
"-But what are you… a kid?"  
"-Oh, this? Just an experiment gone wrong, or that rather went right just a bit too much, but it's just details… Link didn't tell you?"

Both turned towards the latter who was looking elsewhere with a smirk. They sighed but let it slide and went to sit at the work table.

"-So…" started Purah, "S'okay? The Calamity is gone?"

Zelda only nodded with a smile, to which her interlocutor hopped in happiness while exclaiming:

"-SNAP!!! Well done Link, you deserve a good point!"

The young man guffawed at the childish comportment of the scientific – who really was over a hundred years old – and Zelda couldn't help but giggle herself. After all that had happened, such insouciant moments like this one were a real relief for her. Once they were calm again, Purah offered the woman to show her the last results of her research on the sheikah slate, an offer the blonde accepted with star in her eyes. Link let the girls at their scientific discussion to go talk about this and that with Purah's assistant.  
Once they covered all the searcher's scientific advances, the sheikah turned to the swordsman and blurted out:

"-Good, now let's examine our friend! Link, pants down, now!"

The man whipped back to her, face red as an apple and eyes wide. The princess herself had turn scarlet at the simple idea of seeing Link in the nude and, as she was trying to hide her flustered state, tried to reason with her friend:

"-C-come on Purah, it is p-probably a little exaggerate… L-let him k-keep his underpants…"  
"-Fiiiiine… But you're not funny…" she answered with a pout.

The blonde sighed, relieved – even if a small part of her was kinda disappointed. Yet, she smiled when her serving knight nodded discretely in her direction with reconnaissance. Serving knight that still had to take off his pants and his tunic in front of two girls who were intensely staring at his body. Zelda came closer and started inspecting the young man's chest, trying her best to stay in a scientific mindset and not think about the warmth of her cheeks. A long whit scar crossed his pectorals, only vestige of the wounds that had almost cost his life a hundred years ago. Purah, on her side, was feeling his muscles in search of potential sequels, finding none. Both searchers were scribbling in a notepad each as the medical exam advanced, not noting the embarrassment of their subject whose cheeks weren't getting any less red. When it finally ended, Link rushed away to get dressed again.

"-Calls himself captain of the royal guard and serving knight of the princess, and he can't even handle being groped by girls…" mockingly puffed Purah.

Zelda chose to stay silent, being herself extremely embarrassed. In a tentative to change subjects, she checked her notes and pointed out:

"-I didn't list any physical sequels and the wounds he received before being put in the Shrine of Resurrection have perfectly healed and scarred… The only notable effect is seems to be his amnesia…" She paused to think, then continued: "By the way, even if got his memory back, I don't know to what extend, nor if it altered his personality on certain points… I mean, I don't feel like he's really changed, but we also didn't have the time to have a real talk since we 'came back'…" 

The princess began thinking more intensely about their interactions, a concerned look marking her face and twisting her delicate features. It didn't go unnoticed by the sheikah who, after a bit of reflexion, enthusiastically said:

"-Well in that case, princess, it's simple! Just talk tonight while you're dining! It'll be the perfect occasion!"

The blonde got out of her thoughts and turned her head towards the scientist with a slightly surprised look. But before she could answer anything, Link came back, dressed. 

"-If you don't need me anymore, I'll go back down to Hateno. I've got some things to do at home."  
"-You would leave the princess you swore to protect with no surveillance?" Zelda asked with a smirk, an eyebrow raised.  
"-I don't think there's much to fear at the lab and in the village in general, so there's nothing to worry about. And it would be the first time you'd complain about me not 'keeping an eye' on you, Your Highness."

He finished with a wink and a satisfied smile, then left the laboratory. The blonde had been left speechless. They had made a little game of these petty remarks since they had started to know each other and become closer, but at the time he was way less eloquent… The young woman acted like she didn't see the smile Purah was trying to hold and dragged her to the work table so they could go back to scientific subjects.

When the princess came back to the village, the sun had already started to decline behind the mountains and there were less people outside. She entered Link's house to be welcomed by the side of the knight in the middle of cooking dinner. He was wearing an apron and a bandana was holding his hair.

"-Ah, Your Highness, you're back; and right on time, I almost finished the food!" he said with a wide grin.

The blonde's heart missed a beat because of the angelic smile of her serving knight, but she managed to not let it show, and smiled back before sitting at the table. The dish came quickly: omelet and rice, à light dinner but perfect to fill their stomachs. 

"-H-hey, Link…" she began timidly.  
"-What it is, Your Highness? Oh, is it not to your taste? And here I was certain to remember that you liked omelet!"

The young man started panicking in a touching way, which made the princess smile and helped her relax.

"-No, no, it's perfect," she reassured, "But, right about that, I wanted to ask you… did you found them all back? Your memories, I mean."  
"-More or less, I think…" the Hylian answered, serious again, "I remember almost everything, but I have the feeling there's still some points left in the dark… It's not very comfortable…" 

He did seem preoccupied, and Zelda had already noticed him several times lost in thought and frowning these last days. She stayed silent a few seconds, then offered:

"-I could help you, you know… We have spent a lot of time together after all, so I could probably tell you some things that would help you find your last lost memories and…"

The young woman interrupted herself with a yawn. The day indeed had been a long and loaded one, and they hadn't taken that much time to rest from the journey before heading to the Ancient Lab. Her serving knight smiled and said:

"-With pleasure, I thank you a lot. But for now, I think it's time to go to sleep. You will sleep in my bed, Your Highness."  
"-WHAT?!"

Totally taken by surprise, Zelda had shouted involuntarily and her face was completely red. Link stood there for a moment in obliviousness then, when he realized what he implied and his cheeks matched the color of hers, he corrected himself, stuttering:

"-Ah! Erm… No! I wasn't implying… I meant you go sleep in my bed while I sleep downstairs on a futon!"

It took them both some time to calm down, letting the awkward moment pass. Once the embarrassment dropped, the blonde asked:

"-But… Are you sure? I feel bad taking your bed…"   
"-Don't worry Your Highness, I'm more used to sleep in makeshift bed than real ones anyway, so it's not a problem for me."

She was tempted to insist, but the light brown-haired man just smiled and went to sit on the futon he had put up just beside the base of the stairs. With a sigh, the women admitted her defeat and went upstairs lay down on the bed. The scent of the knight, though faint, was on the sheets. The princess closed her eyes and let herself fall into slumber, cheeks warm.


	4. Night at Lurelin Village on the way to Tuft Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda leave Hateno and start their journey towards the Gerudo city, and as they stop at Lurelin for the night, Zelda can appreciate the ocean.

A few days had passed since their arrival at Hateno; Zelda spent most of her time at the lab studying the sheikah slate and its different runes with Purah and her assistant's help. Link, on the other hand, used his free time in any way he could find: helping in the fields or at the village's farm, taking care of the horses and of his weapons, "cleaning" the remaining monster camps nearby, etc. In the evening, they met back at the young man's house, he cooked dinner and then they would talk about their day while eating. This little routine that had settle was pleasant – though kinda embarrassing since Purah had joked about how it was a "nice little couple's life" – and had let them rest and put aside all the events that had shaken them quite a bit – talk about euphemism… However, the princess couldn't her duty indefinitely: they would have to tackle the kingdom's reconstruction, and a good start would be to go meet the leaders of each race, which meant to go on the road again and go around Hyrule. When she exposed her decision to her serving knight, he nodded but he allowed himself a request:

"-If you don't mind, Your Highness, could we start by Gerudo Town? Their chief entrusted me their relic, the Thunder Helm, to help me in my quest, and now that I've finished I wish to give them back as soon as possible."

Zelda thought for a moment then answered with a smile: 

"-Yes, It seems to me that this is a reasonable request, and it's most honorable of you to want to return an object of such importance at the first occasion. Moreover, I am quite curious to meet the one who rules the desert nowadays. In exchange, I want you to chose our itinerary. You know the Hyrule roads way better than me after all!"

The brown-haired man nodded and went to get up to do the dishes, but the princess added a little personal demand:

"-Oh, and if you could make it so we make a detour by that mountain in the south, please. I read somewhere that a lot of flower species grow at the top, and I'd like to go take a look. I think it's called… Tuft Mountain."  
"-Tuft…" Link paused and the blonde could read surprise on his face for a few seconds, then his face went back to neutral.  
"-Tuft Mountain. Very well, Your Highness, your wishes are orders."

Then he dashed to do the dishes, not letting Zelda the time to even question his reaction.

The next day, their departure was fast, the preparations having been made the night before: the princess had taken two or three outfits besides the one Link offered her, some books from Purah and her research notebooks; As for the knight, he too had taken some various outfits, as well as all kind of homemade potions, some provisions and a stock of different types of arrows. Furthermore, he had switched his blade again, leaving the Knight's Sword for a Royal Guard's Sword – the result of the sheikah technology, an extremely powerful black blade but less sturdy than a steel one – and taken the Great Eagle Bow, the Rito Champion Revali's weapon. Finally, he had taken back the sheikah slate to keep an eye on the map. After quick goodbyes, the duo passed through the city gate like they did a few days prior and took the direction of the south.

"-Normally, we should reach Lurelin Village in the evening. We'll stop over for the night, and tomorrow there will only be a few hours on horse back to reach the mountain." the young man explained.

The girl nodded, lost in her thoughts. Of course, she was impatient to study the flora of Tuft Mountain; in a 100 years, it must have changed quite a lot, and she was even daring to hope and find at least one silent princess, a beautiful blue flower that was on the verge of extinction a century ago. On the other hand, she was happy that they would be spending the night in Lurelin Village because it was by the seaside; and, as the princess destined to stop the Calamity, she had dedicated her life to training and meditation so her power would awake, so she had never seen the ocean. It would be the first time. A slight smile graced her face at the idea, and her mind started wandering: the sun reflecting on the water, the foam rolling on the shore, the fishes in the waves, the underwater plants dancing in the currents… She was taken out of her own head by the magnificent sight before her eyes: the rock formations bordering the road didn't obstruct the view anymore and now, a calm sea filled the scenery, extending until the skyline. It was bordered by a strip of sand and several rocks where a bunch of crabs were visible. Far away, a colony of seagulls were flying in circle, searching food.

"-We are at Loshlo Harbor," Link commented. He had surely seen the princess' amazed look, "if you like this scenery, wait until you see Lurelin' beaches!"

They rode along the coast, and then under another high rock arch before attaining said beaches, dazzling indeed: long stretches of soft white sand, several rows of palm trees swaying with the sea wind, and farther away the village itself, a group of round wooden shacks, perfectly blending with the dreamy landscape. A fresh salty odor carried by the breeze tickled her nose as they reached the first houses. At the hotel, the knight tied the horses and, while he was going inside pay for the chambers, he told her to get around the hut by the right to watch the spectacle. The young woman didn't what he was talking about but followed his advice and found a wonderful sight: the sun was setting, painting the sky with pinks and oranges shimmering in harmony with the ocean's blue. Several stars had already pierced the dusk, as to add a fairy touch to the scenery. As she was admiring the scene with emotion, a click resounded behind her. It was Link, who must have had finished at the hotel and had joined her; the sound was from the sheikah slate with which he just immortalized the moment thanks to the 'camera' rune.

"-I was thinking you'd appreciate to keep a memento of your first seaside sunset." He explained with a smile.  
"-Indeed, thank you." she answered, smiling back.  
"-Good," he continued, "we have a chamber each for the night. Let's go sleep, we'll have to leave early tomorrow if you want to have enough time at Tuft Mountain for your research, because then we'll need to rally the nearest stable for the night.   
"-I don't see a problem, but I have to remind you that out of the two of us, I'm not the one who has difficulties getting up on time in the morning!" The princess remarked with a slightly mocking tone.  
"-I don't know what you're talking about…" was the only response the brown-haired boy with a false pout.

They both giggled and went to bed, after one last look at the amazing dusky landscape.

Zelda couldn't sleep. She was turning left and right in her bed when she had an idea. Discretely, she slipped out of her room and out of the hotel with a towel and went to the beach they had passed on their way, just before Lurelin. There, between some rocks, she took off her night robe and entered the water. The cold made a shiver run up her spine, but it quickly became supportable. The blonde swam a little to get away from the shore before letting herself float on her back, eyes looking at the night sky now filled with stars. A sigh left her lips when she started thinking of the responsibilities waiting for her… The kingdom was in ruins and each race had closed up on itself for a lack of organization; a long diplomatic work had to be provided before even thinking about the material reparations. And this part would be even longer; It would take years, maybe even decades just to rebuild Castle Town… The young woman sighed again and immersed herself for a moment to get all those dark thoughts out of her head. She had to think in a more positive way: first of all, the rupee was still the currency used in all of Hyrule. Second, the help and support of the Zora Domain wasn't doubted because king Dorefah, a great friend of the royal family, was still reigning. Furthermore, Link had already met each race's leader and won their trust by pacifying the Divine Beasts; with his help, she wouldn't be totally in unknown territory. Finally, the country was way safer since their victory: the number of monsters had dropped a lot after the Calamity's defeat and there wouldn't be any more blood moons to bring them back to life. The Yigas made themselves more discreet since the Champion had defeated their chief and the guardians weren't a threat anymore. It may not be much compared to what still needed to be done, but it was still something…

A movement on the beach broke her thoughts. She sank in the water until it wad up to her nose and stayed motionless, watching the shadow moving through the village and walking along the shore opposite to the one where were her belongings. She couldn't see clearly who it was because of a big cloud covering the moon, but it also meant that she was as hard to spot, all the more when her blond hair had a tendency to catch the light. However, through concentration, she finally distinguished a cape gently stirring with the sea breeze and a familiar form: a scabbard. A little more observation later, it was evident that it was her serving knight, also doing a night escapade. At first she was scared he noticed her absence and was looking for her, but it didn't seem to be the case; his step was calm and he was looking at the ground, not around. She continued to watch him with curiosity, but kept a good distance. It would be extremely embarrassing if he were to see him… a this moment. This simple thought made her cheeks turn pink. 

The young man went all the way to the end of the strip of sand that reached far in the inlet and sat against a palm tree. He unsheathed his sword and, after observing it for a while, began to clean it with a rag. It's not like it really needed it, there hadn't been any problem on the way, it was more of a way for him to occupy his mind. Maybe it was also linked to the importance of the weapon itself… Of course, Zelda had recognized it the moment she saw it: it was the royal guard's sword he used before the Sword of Legend – his father's sword, that he gave him when he became the new captain of the royal guard.

A long shiver ran on her back. The young woman realized she had been in the water for a while, and if she didn't get out she would risk getting ill. So she went back to her clothes and got out of the water as silently as possible, dried herself and put back on her night robe. She then went back to her room, still discretely. Even if there was a moment of stress, that midnight bath had relaxed and tired her, and she laid back on her bed with a yawn before falling asleep.


End file.
